Building Capacity for Sustainable Tourism Management in Coastal Destinations of Asia-Pacific

27-30 June 2017, Jeju, Republic of Korea – The International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders in Jeju (CIFAL Jeju) in collaboration with United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC), the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and the Jeju Tourism Organization convened the workshop “Sustainable Tourism Management in Coastal Destinations of the Asia-Pacific Region”, in Jeju Island on 27-30 June.

Through the workshop, 21 representatives from central, state and local governments, NGOs and the private sector received training on tourism management in coastal areas with a special focus on countries facing an increasing threat from climate change such as Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

Countries represented in the workshop included Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and the Republic of Korea. The event served as a platform to build capacities on sustainable tourism and to develop strategies to address problems arising from mass tourism in a sustainable manner.

International researchers, experts from international organizations and policy makers from around the world led the discussions. Speakers included Dr. Mushtaq Memon from the United Nations Environment Programme, Dr. Denis Tolkach from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Dr. Mihee Kang from Seoul National University, Mr. Ludwig Rieder from Asia-Pacific Projects Inc., Prof. Xavier Font from the University of Surrey, and Ms. Jihyo Hur from Jeju Olle Foundation.

The workshop also included lectures and group activities focusing on key topics such as the global trends of cultural tourism within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals, the economic, social and environmental aspects of tourism development, sustainable consumption and production for coastal destinations in relation with tourism, sustainable tourism marketing strategies, tourism finance and investment, and community-based tourism.

To provide an opportunity to learn about tourism in Jeju, participants explored community-based tourism cases in Jeju and visited coastal touristic spots such as the “Jeju Olle Trail Course 7” and the “Seongsan Sunrise Peak”.

Photo 1: Participants of the Workshop Sustainable Tourism Management in Coastal Destinations of the Asia-Pacific Region